Alpine and high-altitude medicine

Well prepared for Alpine Mountaineering

Those who are bound to the city during the week, enjoy the freedom in the mountains on the weekends or on holiday even more. Then, it's get out of one’s comfort zone and meet the physical challenge. No matter whether hiking in summer, ski touring in winter or even setting your sights on the Alpine 3,000m mountains - optimal preparation is the be-all and end-all.

An unfamiliar terrain, greater physical stress on the body and lower air pressure all affect one’s hiking and mountain climbing performance. In people with certain risk factors, that can also lead to serious health complications.

In order to be able to really enjoy mountain sports, it is important to know exactly the risk factors as well as one’s own physical condition in advance. The higher the mountain, the more important is this information. Only those who really know their own constitution can dare to tackle extreme altitudes.

Your partner for Alpine and high-altitude medicine

The Institute of Sports Medicine is your ideal partner in this area, and is an essential component of the Salzburg Mountain Medicine Research Group (SMMRG). Mountain sports enthusiasts and those who want to be one, get a comprehensive sports and high altitude medical examination.

Sports and High Altitude Medical examination

No matter whether your goal is a beautiful hike in Flachgau, the highest located mountain hut in SalzburgerLand, the summit of the Hohen Sonnblicks or a trekking tour and summit climb on the high mountains of distant continents – knowledge of your own health and your performance limits contribute significantly to ensuring that when you leave your comfort zone, it will be a memorable and positive experience.

These include:

A talk with your Doctor on your current state of health

ECG and lung function testing

Ultrasound of the heart

Stress analysis on the bike or treadmill, with continuous documentation of ECG, blood pressure and gas exchange (Spiro Ergometrics)

Capillary lactate measurement on the ear to determine performance

Discussion of findings

High altitude medical consultancy

Creation of a customised training plan

Accompanied training on request

Courses on Alpine emergency and high-altitude medicine

A hike or mountain tour runs much more smoothly when you know to help in an emergency. It all starts with a useful and properly packed backpack pharmacy.
In the Alpine emergency and high-altitude medicine courses from the Salzburg Mountain Medicine Research Group (SMMRG), of the University Hospital Salzburg, one learns the main principles for the treatment of medical emergencies and accidents in the mountains. The special feature of these courses is that they are held by highly experienced high-altitude medical and rescue staff. The teaching team consists of emergency doctors and intensive physicians, flight rescuers and mountain guides, who deal with Alpine and high-altitude medical emergencies in their daily work. The trainers are active, experienced mountaineers and national or international experts in their own field. Numerous international scientific publications on these topics have been created by the teaching team.

In these courses, participants are made familiar with not only the medical treatments, but also transport and rescue from Alpine terrain, as well as with rescue techniques from both rock and ice. The main focus of the courses are personalised to your exact needs and supplemented with theoretical teaching content, as well as aspects of high-altitude medicine (prophylaxis and high-altitude sickness therapy). In addition, the contents of a sensible rucksack pharmacy are discussed.

For accommodation, different choices are available are depending on your personal preference. These courses are suitable for all mountain enthusiasts (beginners and experienced), who want to be prepared for any possible medical emergencies in the mountains, regardless of whether for the middle mountain heights or for the highest mountains in the world.